Vkandis' Own
"Vkandis' Own" is the first story in the Colonel Tregaran Miniseries by Ben Ohlander. Synopsis Karse troops sent to battle at the Hardorn border are accompanied by a devout sun-priestess, Solaris, who objects to the bloodthirsty demands of Vkandis' corrupt priest-mages. Characters * Tregaron - Colonel in Karse army, commander of His Holiness' Twenty-First Foot * Cogern - Master of pikes in the 21st * Solaris - a common red-robed parish Sun-priest, but a powerful mage, recruited to guard the Oriflamme * Havern - a Sun-priest in black court robes sent from the capital to guard the Oriflamme and counter Hardorn's magic Referenced * Vkandis Sunlord, a deity * Lastern - the current corrupt Son of the Sun * Ancar - Hardorn's prince, who usurped his father's throne Places * Karse * Terilee River, which is part of the Karse-Hardorn border * Hardorn, the country that has been raiding Karse's borders Terminology * Oriflamme - the cloth-of-gold standard that was the mark of His Holiness' favor. The regiment had paid in blood for the right to carry the 'Flamme. Aka Vkandis' Stainless Banner. Story description (WARNING! SPOILERS!) His Holiness the Son of the Sun has sent the Twenty-First Foot across the northlands to the Karse-Hardorn border. Three sun-priests in black court robes accompanied them from Sunhame, to bear the Oriflamme and to counter Hardorn's magical attacks. When one Black-robe died, possibly during a demon-summoning, they recruited a provincial red-robed parish-tender, who is also a powerful mage - Solaris. She argues with the black robe priest-mage Havern, airing her pungent opinions about the mission, political strategy, and the incompetence of the current Son of the Sun, Lastern. He accuses her of blasphemy, then tries to blackmail her into his tent for instruction in "orthodoxy." She dodges this just as a scout appears with news of the enemy. Solaris wields the Oriflamme during the battle, rallying the troops, while the other priests stay behind the lines. After the bloody but victorious combat, there are three hundred casualties, a twenty percent loss. Havern jovially prepares for the Battle Tithe, the Victory Sacrifice: "men too wounded to travel or otherwise unlikely to survive will go to the flames. Alive. Vkandis takes no pleasure in cold flesh." Solaris expresses doubt that Vkandis wants flesh, and then kneels by a dying soldier. When she moves on, he sits up, puzzled - he has been healed. The attention of dozens, then hundreds, is riveted on her as she lays hands on one fatally wounded soldier after another, her eyes glowing, healing them all. When she finishes, there are none left for the Fires. Note Author's Note: This story takes place after the events chronicled in ''Arrow's Fall'' and before ''Storm Warning''. Valdemar Wiki note: the sun-priest red and black robe roles seem to be reversed in this story - here, the devout sun-priest wears red and the bloodthirsty priests wear black. See also * Anthologies * Chronological order of books: expanded edition Category:Short works Category:Karse stories